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Coronavirus (COVID-19) Update from Sun Peaks

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UPDATE: April 20, 9:00am

We hope that you are staying healthy and safe during this challenging time. A very special and heartfelt thank you to those of you who are essential service providers and front-line workers, whether that be in hospitals, grocery stores, delivery services, or otherwise, who are fighting this battle and providing the rest of us the necessities to remain home as much as possible and do our part in overcoming this pandemic.

We thank every single one of our guests from this past season, who have shown us patience and understanding – this past month hasn’t been easy, and we know it hasn’t been for you either. We sincerely hope that you enjoyed the powder filled days and one of our deepest snow bases on record leading into spring, and that you are able to find solace in these memories as we wait for the lifts to turn once again.

Looking ahead, over the remainder of spring we will be carefully evaluating the road ahead for all of our business functions in resort, including both summer and winter operations.

For summer, we have tentative plans to open in early July. Obviously, this is a fluid situation that may require further adjustments as circumstances dictate – but we are all very excited to ride bikes, swing golf clubs, and hike through the wildflowers again. The primary factor in determining the road ahead for summer will be the safety of our staff, guests, and local community. We’ll continue to rely on our health and government officials for guidance and direction.

For next winter, we will be working on plans for our season pass holder program while trying to take this past season into consideration whenever possible. Under normal circumstances, we launch pass sales in early May with our Best Buy campaign. This year we’ll be taking our time and delaying the start of this campaign, to allow us the opportunity to properly look at our options for you (including suggestions we have already received from guests), while also allowing more time than a normal season for you to make your purchase at the best price. The regular June 30 price cut off will not be in place this year. This is the right decision for both sides of the equation under current circumstances.

We hope that this will help show our commitment to all of our valued guests, returning and new, while also ensuring that we can successfully bounce back next season after the negative impacts of this global crisis. It’s important to us that we’re here for you and are able to open our doors and trails when it’s safe to return to recreation in the mountains once again.

This is a friendly yet strong reminder that access to all alpine terrain within the resort boundaries at Sun Peaks is closed for the season.

Without regular operational or safety staff on mountain, the danger and risk are substantial for a variety of important reasons. In addition, current public avalanche conditions are no longer being issued by agencies in Canada and a number of natural hazards also exist within the ski area boundary now that operations have finished for the season.

Take all of these considerations seriously and avoid putting our limited staff, community, and health care system at further unnecessary risk. Please respect these closures, especially in light of the current challenging situation.

Best wishes to all,

Sun Peaks Resort Team

UPDATE: March 28, 9:00am

Like many communities throughout the world, we are now starting to see more confirmed and presumptive cases of COVID-19 from people either in Sun Peaks or those who have been in Sun Peaks during some period in the last month.

Due to the number of different locations and countries our employees and guests have now returned to, along with varied travel dates and patterns, it is extremely difficult and likely not possible to verify or communicate specific details of individual situations moving forward. Therefore, we are asking everyone to please act like they have been in contact with potential cases whether it is here in Sun Peaks or anywhere else you may have recently visited. This is what will help us flatten the curve as the health care professionals have recently been communicating to all.

Everyone needs to follow the recommendations of health care professionals and government officials in terms of social distancing, staying at home, and other best practices during these unprecedented times. This is how we will move forward. Please take care of yourselves and each other as the world collectively navigates this continually evolving pandemic.

Best wishes to all,

Sun Peaks Resort Team

UPDATE:March 27, 9:00am

We have been made aware of a Sun Peaks Resort employee who recently left the resort to return home and has now tested positive for COVID-19. We feel it is important to share these details as part of our role in community well-being. Please take any necessary precautionary measures you see fit as a result of this information. Particular details include:

Individual was a Sports School Instructor and lived in staff accommodation (Black Bear Lodge)

Last day of work on the mountain was March 16

Left Sun Peaks on March 19 for travel to Australia

Positive test confirmed on March 24 after arrival in Australia

Our hope is that these details will help you manage your healthcare during this challenging time.

UPDATE: March 26, 9:00am

All uphill access throughout Sun Peaks Resort (including Orient area) is now fully closed for the season. While our pilot project around the Orient chair was successful over the last week, we must now end access for the winter. We no longer have the availability of on-site safety teams for this purpose and we do not want to run the risk of further burdening the medical system due to any alpine ski related activity. We will continue to evaluate similar opportunities for the future.

Nordic, snowshoe, and fatbike trails in the valley remain accessible for local traffic only. We ask that other guests do not visit the resort at this time for any recreational purposes.

Thank you for your continued support and cooperation.

UPDATE: March 24, 9:00am

As we continue to wrap up from winter operations, the following updates are effective immediately to help ensure we meet our responsibilities to employees and the greater community:

The Guest Services office is now closed until further notice. Staff are working, but are only able to respond to email (guestservices@sunpeaksresort.com) and phone (250.578.5474) inquiries at this time.

The Burfield Lodge Administration office is now closed until further notice. Administration reception can be reached at 250.578.7222.

Masa’s Bar + Grill and Café Soleil are now completely closed until further notice.

Thank you for your patience and understanding.

UPDATE: March 20, 4:00pm

Thanks to everyone for their patience during this difficult time. As a reminder, the mountain is now closed for the season and we ask everyone to please respect this decision for the health and safety of all. Limited and severely scaled back components of the resort have outdoor recreation opportunities available for locals, but everyone heading outside for fresh air is required to practice social distancing measures as outlined by provincial officials. This is subject to change at any time and we are closely following developments on a daily basis.

We ask those who are not local community members or have essential business purposes in the community to please refrain from visiting the resort at this time.

Nordic Centre: is now closed for the season. Those with outstanding rental equipment will still be able to drop off, but all services have now ended.

All mountain-controlled food and beverage operations: have now either closed or are moving to take-out options only with limited hours. Please call ahead or check online for specific information.

Our guest services team: continues to work diligently on guest related issues from our unanticipated closure. If you have further inquiries at this time, please reach out via email at guestservices@sunpeaksresort.com. Please note, we are receiving a large volume of emails at this time so response times may be longer than usual. We are currently working on items that require our immediate attention so we thank you for your patience during this challenging time.

Again, we thank you for your ongoing support of Sun Peaks, as well as your understanding during this unprecedented situation that we’re all doing our very best to navigate.

UPDATE:March 17, 7:30pm

As per recent announcements, tomorrow (Wednesday, March 18) will be our last day of mountain operations. As a reminder, if you are not already in resort, we ask that you do not come up to Sun Peaks at this time to help limit overall volume. Operations for final day will function mostly the same as today with a couple of exceptions:

Sunburst Lodge: in order to respect and comply with provincial mandates, the upstairs of the lodge will now be closed on Wednesday. The outdoor patio and downstairs level washrooms will both remain open. There will be limited food and beverage (BBQ) service on the patio.

The Annex: same restrictions as per today with a greater focus on limiting the number of people coming through the facility at any given time.

We ask all guests to please be respectful of staff and these restrictions. We’re not able to operate anything in these challenging times if we don’t have cooperation from everyone. Please help us comply with these important matters for the safety and well-being of all.

Outdoor Recreation Moving Forward

It’s extremely rare to close in mid-March. It’s also harder to accept when the mountain conditions are so amazing! However, everyone needs to be compliant with the mountain closure and stay away from closed areas and trails. Every season we ask nicely, every season we have challenges. Please listen now, especially during this unprecedented situation. It’s for the safety of everyone.

That being said, the operations team is taking a very progressive approach this season. As of Thursday March 19, the following options will be in place for remaining community members (while adhering to social distancing recommendations):

Orient area: will remain accessible for non-motorized uphill traffic (hiking or skinning). Uphill access will only be allowed on ‘Ca M’a Fait Plasir’. Skiing and snowboarding will only be permitted on ski runs to the east of this location.

Nordic trails: will continue to be open and groomed. Trail selection may be more limited.

Snowshoe and Fatbike trails: will remain open.

Nordic Centre: will remain open 9:00am-4:00pm for cross-country and snowshoe rental needs.

No tickets are required for the above and everyone will be accessing these designated trails at their own risk. Pay close attention to any signage you see.

The above opportunities are an amazing pilot project during this challenging period and are subject to change at anytime. Updates will be posted to this page as required.

Ongoing Operational Hours

After mountain operations wind down, here are the hours of select base area facilities:

Guest Services/Sports School: 10:00am – 2:00pm Daily

Masa’s Bar + Grill: 12:00pm – 8:00pm, TAKE-OUT only

Café Soleil: 8:00am - 3:00pm Daily

In-Resort Shuttle: runs until end of day Wednesday, March 18

March 16, 2020, 3:00pm

While the skiing and morale both remain fantastic in Sun Peaks, the unprecedented Coronavirus situation has created an overwhelming and difficult stretch for our guests, staff, and community in recent days.

At this time, the decision has been made to cease operations for the remainder of the winter season at the end of day Wednesday March 18, 2020. We will be implementing a gradual wind down of operations between now and then to help facilitate things in an orderly manner. Key points to note:

Lift Tickets: No further lift ticket sales will take place for the remainder of the season. The mountain remains open until Wednesday for those already with tickets and for season passholders. We strongly encourage and ask anyone not already in resort to please not come to Sun Peaks at this time.

Food and Beverage: Mountain operated outlets will be further restricted effective immediately. No more than 50 people will be permitted in any facility at any given time. Tables have been spaced for social distancing. Menus will also be changing to promote health and safety best practices.

Retail and Rental: Mountain operated outlets will cease as of end of day Wednesday.

Accommodations: Sun Peaks Grand will adjust as required while still fully taking care of all existing guests now in resort. No new bookings will be taken. Please contact your accommodation provider directly for more information.

A plan is currently being implemented to take care of all our impacted employees. We cannot say enough about how the teams have managed these extremely difficult situations.

We do not take this action lightly as skiing in the mountains was one of the safer and calming escapes people had left during this hectic time. However, the situation continues to evolve on an almost hourly basis and an appropriate response was now required. The logistics and ever-changing environment have made it too difficult to finish the season in what we consider a safe setting for all those involved.

This is the right decision. Everyone globally shares a certain level of social responsibility with the current crisis. Until today, we felt our role was to continue providing an outlet for guests to recreate outdoors. As of now, we feel our role has shifted to gradually close down in an organized manner and minimize impacts for the greater good where possible.

While there are no confirmed cases of Coronavirus in the Sun Peaks area at the current time, the health and safety of our guests, staff, and community is of utmost importance to our organization and destination.

In the coming hours, days, and weeks we will do what we can to assist impacted guests and team members. Please be patient with our Guest Services teams while we navigate through these unchartered waters and do the right thing.

We thank you for your understanding during these exceptionally challenging times. We sincerely apologize to everyone caught up by this terrible situation during what has been one of our best spring skiing seasons in recent memory. More info and updates will follow as available.

Best regards,

Sun Peaks Resort Team

March 14, 2020, 8:30pm

Sun Peaks Resort remains open for business.

Select Canadian resorts have announced closures today due to decisions made south of the border in the United States. However, at this time, British Columbia remains one of the safest places in the world and our guests are having a great time on the slopes. Precautions definitely need to be taken and adjustments need to be made, but Sun Peaks Resort will continue to operate unless we receive new information from the relevant authorities with whom we are in regular contact. Obviously, this is a very fluid situation and we will continue to do our best to keep everyone updated.

While we are continuing to stay open, we do have some information and adjustments to inform all of our guests and community about:

At this time, we are recommending and strongly encouraging all of our international guests not yet in resort to change their travel plans. With the large number of travel restrictions now in place on a global scale, we feel it is important to respect these directives.

Those guests over 70 years of age or with underlying health issues should refrain from visiting the resort at this time.

We will be making operational changes where required to certain areas including ski lifts and food and beverage operations to encourage what is now being referred to as social distancing.

Ski Lifts: We will be eliminating singles lines on all chairlifts and encouraging reduced capacities for all lifts. It is recommended to not load unrelated groups on the same chairlift.

Food and Beverage: We will be reducing the number of seats in those outlets with capacities over 250 people and will also be making changes to our food offerings in the short term to ensure a continued safe environment for all.

All Outlets and Establishments: Effective immediately, we are asking all guests in all facilities to not pay for any purchases with cash. Preferred payment options include debit, credit, and gift cards. We thank everyone in advance for assisting with this request.

March 12, 2020

At Sun Peaks Resort, we’re enjoying one of the deepest snow packs in history along with some of the best spring skiing conditions the destination has ever seen. It’s good. Really good.

At the same time, we are all dealing with a significant global situation in regards to the evolving Coronavirus (COVID-19). Our top priority at this time is to ensure a continued safe environment for our guests, staff, and local community. We are following all new developments in consultation with the relevant authorities and are regularly meeting as a team to ensure best practices are in place with this evolving situation.

As of today, there have been no cases of Coronavirus (COVID-19) at Sun Peaks Resort. British Columbia remains one of the safest places in the world and is at the leading edge of managing this situation on a global scale. In resort, we have undertaken a number of proactive measures to help continue this trend. These include increasing the frequency and scope of our sanitation efforts in all of our resort-controlled facilities. Those guests who are coming to join us for fantastic skiing over the spring break period should be confident that appropriate protocols and procedures are all in place.

That being said, we have relaxed our cancellation policies on lift tickets for the remainder of this winter season for those guests that have been impacted or do not feel comfortable travelling at this time. Please reach out to our Guest Services team for more information if required. We’re here to help and do what is right during these difficult times.

If you have an inquiry about accommodation in the destination, please reach out directly to the lodging partner you have booked with for further assistance.

Certain events in the destination will also be impacted. Stay tuned to our website and social media channels for updates on those specifics as they become available. Click here for ongoing events updates.

We wish everyone the best during these challenging times and look forward to decompressing for some much-needed ski laps in the mountains!